Mike Trout said he loves Philly during Monday’s All-Star festivities. But he seems no closer to playing here.
The Millville native cited his no trade clause multiple times when asked whether he'd want to play for the Phillies.
For 38 minutes, Mike Trout talked about everything from coming home for his 12th All-Star Game to the best way to order a cheesesteak. But it took all of 70 seconds to get to the good stuff.
Yo, Mike, would you ever want to play for the Phillies?
“I didn’t think I was going to hear this question,” Trout said Monday.
Cue the laugh track.
» READ MORE: Is it finally time for Mike Trout to be traded? The all-in Phillies make too much sense.
But seriously ...
“You know, I hear this a lot,” said Trout, who famously grew up 40 minutes south of Citizens Bank Park in Millville, N.J. “I enjoy coming to Philly. I’m an Angel, obviously. I’ve got a no-trade clause, so it’s ultimately my decision. But like I said, I love Philly.”
OK, let’s get this out of the way: Trout has played all 16 seasons of his Hall of Fame career for the Angels, a franchise in the throes of its 11th consecutive losing season. The best player of the 2010s hasn’t sniffed the playoffs since 2014, a streak that won’t end any time soon if he stays in Anaheim.
And yet, as far as anyone knows, he has never asked to be traded. Not even to his hometown team, which plays across a South Philly parking lot from his beloved Eagles and Sixers.
People who know Trout doubt he ever will. Joe Maddon, his manager for 2½ seasons, said on The Inquirer’s Phillies Extra podcast that Trout might agree to a trade if he’s approached by owner Arte Moreno. But Moreno is famously opposed to trading stars (see: Shohei Ohtani) — and especially the greatest player in Angels history.
So, another trade deadline will come and go Aug. 3 with Trout staying right where he is.
Right?
“Like I said, I’ve got the no-trade clause,“ he said. ”It’s obviously my decision. I’m with the Angels, so that’s where it’s at."
Got it.
» READ MORE: What makes Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber such unique stars? We asked each about the other.
But Trout also said this: With the All-Star Game in Philly for the first time in 30 years, “this was circled on the list to try to get here.” He built a home for his family near his parents’ house and Trout National golf resort, with a course designed by Tiger Woods, in Millville, and has end-zone seats for Eagles games.
He also said he was happy to see first-time Phillies All-Star Brandon Marsh, his former Angels teammate. “I’ve been texting him all year,” Trout said, “just telling him how proud I am of him.”
Oh, he said this about fans who ask [beg?] him all the time if he’d approve a trade to the Phillies: “I grew up a Phillies fan, Eagles fan, Sixers fan, and I know how passionate they are about the sports teams. I go to Eagles games. I know how I cheer for the Eagles, so it means a lot. Being a fan and just seeing friends and family, I see a lot of Phillies fans when I’m at the Eagles games. I hear about it all the time when I’m there. I appreciate them.”
And Trout, who returned last week from a strained right hamstring, is exactly what the Phillies need: a right-handed hitter with power and on-base ability to hit in the middle of the order and protect Bryce Harper.
“I love Mike, man,” Harper said. “We played [Arizona] Fall League together [in 2011]. We became friends. It’s great to see him back and healthy. Obviously it’s been a tough couple years health-wise for him. We all pull for him in the league, just because we know how talented he is and how good he is, any time he’s able to get on a national stage.”
Harper got a slap on the wrist from MLB in 2019 when he lobbied for Trout to join him with the Phillies. He wasn’t making that mistake again.
But Harper did have one prediction: “He’ll probably go deep [in the All-Star Game], I’d imagine, just because that’s who he is. It’s a lot of fun to be able to see a guy like that be able to do it in his hometown of Philly.”
Indeed, Trout will be the first batter of the 96th All-Star Game when he leads off for the American League. He has played only eight games in Citizens Bank Park, probably never in front of a crowd that will be this loud.
» READ MORE: ‘The game is where it needs to be’: Bryce Harper wants compromise (and no salary cap) to keep sport thriving
Trout said he will have about 20 family and friends in attendance, including his wife, Jessica, and their two sons. He plans to stick around Wednesday, too, and play Trout National before flying back to Southern California to open the second half.
So, maybe there’s a chance — teeny and tiny, though it may be — that 18 holes in Millville and a six-hour flight back to baseball irrelevance with the sounds of a sold-out Philly crowd ringing in his ears might make Trout rethink that no-trade clause?
“I mean, it’s how I was raised,” Trout said of his loyalty to the Angels. “I was a big [Derek] Jeter fan growing up, you know? Obviously he was with one team his whole career.”
In that case, Phillies fans, dream on.
Ryan Howard was a three-time All-Star and champion of the 2006 Home Run Derby in his legendary run with the Phillies. With the baseball world coming together in Philadelphia for the 96th All-Star Game, Howard sat down with Phillies Extra to discuss his All-Star memories, his expectations for a Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park, his outlook on the Phillies' season, Kyle Schwarber's chances of breaking his single-season franchise mark for homers, and more. Watch here.
You can also subscribe to the podcast version of Phillies Extra on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
Previous episodes: Dan Baker | Ricky Bottalico | Preston Mattingly | Caleb Cotham | Larry Bowa | Joe Maddon | Rhys Hoskins | Terry Francona | Aaron Rowand
